CHAPTER7 Understanding the Home-Selling Process Now that we’ve discussed where you see yourself in the future, it’s time to get into the nitty-gritty of the home-selling process. Perhaps you’ve never needed to sell a home before — you went straight from renting into purchasing your dream family home without the need for a starter home in between, for example. Or, maybe it’s just been a long time since you’ve gone through the process of selling your home. Many aging homeowners haven’t been in the real estate market for decades — maybe 30, 40, even 50 years. It’s absolutely critical to understand that a lot has changed in real estate since then and to keep this in mind as you head into the home-selling process. For example, many people entering retirement are genuinely concerned with how they are going to afford selling their home and obtaining a loan, as well as paying a real estate agent. Many longtime homeowners mistakenly assume they can’t afford another home or that no bank or mortgage lender is going to give them a loan at their age. But that simply isn’t true. Whatever the case, it’s my goal to show you everything that goes into selling a home, even if you’ve sold a home before. No matter how long it’s been, it’s helpful to have a refresher to learn some new ideas and techniques to help you sell your home. I also want to advise you accordingly so that you can get the most money possible from your home sale and in the shortest amount of time. Even if you need to downsize fairly quickly, that doesn’t mean you should just take the first offer that comes your way. You 44
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